Seanad debates

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Seanad Bill 2013: Committee Stage

 

4:25 pm

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I have been watching the debate on the monitor. The Government gave very clear commitments on Oireachtas reform prior to the election .

Seanad reform, unfortunately, from that party's perspective meant abolition. As we know, the people decided not to abolish the Seanad.

I commend the Senators who put this reform Bill together. As I said to Senators Quinn and Zappone, it has imperfections and there are things I would change, but at least it is a basis for reform. The major issue I have is that almost a year ago I, the Leader of the Seanad, Deputy Maurice Cummins, and others sat down with the Taoiseach about eight weeks after the Seanad referendum. The Taoiseach said reform of the Seanad would be dealt with as a matter of priority and urgency, but nothing has happened.

There has been no reform, and worse still is the fact that the Seanad was picked upon as the one area requiring reform while everywhere else did not. Seanad reform cannot be considered solely in the context of reforming the Seanad, rather, Oireachtas reform must be considered. Oireachtas reform has not worked. The programme for Government refers to the necessity to allow proper debates, and not to shut down and guillotine debates. I commend the Leader for, in the main, facilitating and seeing good that promise. However, more than 60% of all legislation in the Dáil has been shut down or guillotined. There is still no proper oversight. The pre-legislative process does not work.

A lot needs to be fixed. People around the country are concerned about many different issues, but political reform is something they want to see happen. This Bill gives a basis for that, but I would not like to see the Seanad identified as the only place where reform is required. Let us consider the Whip system-----

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